Round 15: Dirk Baberowski vs. Armin Birner

Charles Delvaux

Game 1

Both players kept their starting hands. Armin, playing red/green, had a strong opening with Wellwisher and Timberwatch Elf. A third turn Wall of Deceit stopped the bleeding for some time, while Annex stole one of Armin's mountains. Would it only produce colorless mana, or may Dirk be able to use red mana, for a splashed removal or even an enchant creature? The blue/white mage went to the air with an Ascending Aven, while a Crested Craghorn got rid of the wall, meaning that dirk needed a new defense, which swiftly came with the aforementioned enchant creature: Lavamancer's Skills. "I've used it better in the past" said Dirk after playing it on a bird soldier to shoot the Crested Craghorn.

At the end of Dirk's next turn, Armin put an insect token into play at with vitality charm, and swung with 5 insects, which got all blocked. Tribal Unity? Of course. 4 soldiers went to the graveyard. The crowd sheered as their favorite came into play hit play next turn. The insects swung again, putting Dirk at 2 and Armin made a Krosan Groundshaker. Crowd Favorites stopped the Groundshaker, but every other of Armin's creatures charged, while he had played a face down creature before combat. Unable to block every creature, Dirk let 1 insect trough. If the face down creature was a Giant Growth effect or a direct damage, the game was over. Sure enough it was a Patron of the Wild.

But it was time for Armin to act, and after playing Stonewood Invoker and Barkhide Mauler, he swung with everything but his Needleshot Gourna, which got tapped. No big effect, Dirk lost a morph and Cavalry, Armin an Outrider and a Mauler. Dirk gave a dreamer the needed skills to kill an elf who could mutate into a 7/7 monster. Armin's Erratic Explosion, which revealed Timberwatch Elf, wasn't enough to get rid of the Dreamer, as Dirk could prevent 3 with Medic. Eventually he won trough the air.